FR3082019A1 - METHOD, DEVICE, TERMINAL AND PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING ACTIVATION OF A TERMINAL - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for activating a first terminal from a second terminal, the first and the second terminal being connected via a communication network, the method being such that it comprises steps of associating the first terminal with the second terminal, detecting an action on an input device associated with the second terminal, and transmitting a notification to the first terminal, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to authorize unlocking the first terminal.

Description

Method, device, terminal and program for controlling activation of a terminal

Technical area

The invention belongs to the field of terminals and relates more particularly to a method for activating a first terminal from a second terminal.

Prior art

Typically, a user interacts with a personal computer by means of input devices such as a keyboard and or a pointing device. Thus, to use several computers, several keyboards and mice are generally necessary. Such a multiplication of these input devices poses a problem of space.

Solutions have been proposed for mutualizing input devices between different terminals. In this way, it is possible to reduce the size of an office when several computers are used. For example, the same keyboard can be used to enter data on different terminals.

A first technique consists in using a hardware switch. A keyboard and a mouse are then connected to the switch, the switch itself being connected to at least two computers. A command on the switch connects the input devices to either of the computers to which the switch is connected.

A second technique consists in installing a particular software on each of the computers with which one wishes to share a keyboard and / or a mouse. The keyboard and / or the mouse are then physically connected to a single computer on which server software is installed, the role of which is to intercept the interactions of the user with the keyboard and the mouse and to retransmit them to installed client software. on the computer the user wants to control. The user selects the computer he wishes to control by, for example, moving his mouse to a particular location on the screen, generally on an edge of the screen. Thus, when the mouse pointer reaches a particular position on the screen of a first computer, the keyboard and the mouse are virtually connected to a second computer.

This second technique allows the sharing of a keyboard and a mouse between heterogeneous terminals, such as between a computer and a touch pad, independently of the operating system which equips them. It is thus possible to configure a computer and a mobile terminal so that when the computer mouse pointer reaches, for example, an edge of the screen, an additional movement of the pointer causes the keyboard interactions to be redirected and mouse to the terminal, so the user can interact with the terminal from the computer keyboard and mouse.

The use of such a technique with tactile terminals of the tablet or smartphone type however poses a particular problem. Indeed, these terminals having a nomadic vocation, generally operate on battery and automatically go into an energy saving mode when they are unused for a certain period. They must then be reactivated by a manual action of the user before being usable, such as for example entering an unlock code, or performing a particular gesture on the screen of the terminal. As long as the terminal is not unlocked, it is therefore not possible to control it from a keyboard and a mouse shared with another device.

Having to manually unlock the terminal before you can use a keyboard and / or mouse is detrimental to the user experience and reduces the value of sharing a keyboard and / or mouse between a computer and the terminal.

Thus, there is a need for a solution making it possible to trigger the sharing of input devices between a computer and a touch terminal without it being necessary for the user to perform a manual action on the touch terminal.

Summary of the invention

To this end, a method of activating a first terminal from a second terminal is proposed, the first and the second terminal being connected via a communication network, the method being such that it includes the following steps performed by the second terminal:

association of the first terminal with the second terminal, detection of an action on an input device associated with the second terminal, transmission of a notification to the first terminal, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to authorize the unlocking of the first terminal.

In this way, unlike the prior art, a mobile terminal associated with a computer can be unlocked without manual user interaction on the terminal. A particular action performed with a computer input device, such as a particular movement of a mouse connected to the computer for example, triggers the transmission of an unlock command to the mobile terminal. The association of the first terminal with the second terminal allows the second terminal to detect the presence of the first terminal and to secure the activation of the first terminal by ensuring that only an associated terminal is authorized to carry out the activation.

Unlocking the first terminal corresponds, for example, to entering a security code, performing a particular gesture on a screen of the first terminal, pressing a button or any other manipulation aimed at passing the terminal from a state of partial inactivity or from standby to an active state capable of accepting interactions carried out using input devices of the second terminal.

According to a particular embodiment, the method is such that the step of associating the first terminal with the second terminal comprises the exchange of at least one encryption key between the first and second terminals, the notification transmitted to the first terminal comprising at minus a piece of data encrypted using the encryption key.

The use of a shared secret such as an encryption key offers increased security by preventing an individual from being able to take control of the first terminal without being authorized to do so. Thus, only a terminal having the encryption key provided by the first terminal can initiate its unlocking.

According to a particular embodiment, the input device is a pointing device.

The first terminal can thus be unlocked from an action on a mouse or a tactile surface associated with the second terminal. In this way, the user can unlock and use the first terminal while keeping his hand on the pointing device used with the second terminal.

According to a particular embodiment, the step of detecting an action comprises detecting that the pointing device is in a particular detection zone on the screen of the second terminal.

Thus, a user can unlock a mobile terminal such as the first terminal by simply moving the pointer of a mouse to a particular area of the screen. The user does not need to leave the mouse with his hand, the ergonomics are then optimal.

According to a particular embodiment, the detection zone is a rectangular zone defined on the screen of the second terminal, having at least one side contiguous with an edge of the screen of the second terminal, the second terminal being further configured to transmit to the first terminal of the interactions detected on input devices when the pointing device reaches said edge of the screen of the second terminal.

In a conventional manner, the techniques making it possible to share the mouse of a computer with another terminal trigger the transfer of the movements of the mouse on the screen of the second terminal when the pointer reaches an edge of the screen of the first terminal, and vice versa . When the detected action is the positioning of the mouse pointer at the edge of the screen, the execution of the steps of the activation process introduces a delay before the pointer is usable on the second terminal: the mouse pointer will block at the edge of the screen while waiting for the unlocking sequence to end on the second terminal.

By proposing the use of a contiguous rectangular detection zone with at least one edge of the screen, the method advantageously makes it possible to reduce this latency.

The use of a rectangular zone saves a certain width between the side of the detection zone which is contiguous to the edge of the screen and its opposite side. It is thus possible to detect the arrival of the pointer in the detection zone before it reaches the edge of the screen, and thus to trigger the unlocking sequence earlier. The terminal can in this way be already reactivated when the pointer reaches the edge of the screen and the movements of the mouse can be transferred to the second terminal smoothly.

The area can also have another shape. For example, it can be a semi-circular area having an intersection with an edge of the screen, a rectangle with rounded corners, or any other shape whose dimensions and position are such that the movement of the pointer in the area is necessary to reach a location causing the transfer of mouse interactions to an associated terminal.

According to a particular embodiment, at least one dimension of the detection zone is determined according to the speed of movement of the pointing device.

A dimension of the detection zone is thus determined as a function of an estimate of the time necessary for the pointer to traverse the zone according to this dimension at the measured speed, the speed being measured when the pointer is outside the detection zone. It is thus possible to cause the terminal to be unlocked before the pointer reaches the edge of the screen of the terminal 100.

When the mouse is moved quickly, it can cross the detection zone and reach the edge of the screen too quickly for the unlocking sequence to have had time to be completed. By increasing the size of the detection area when the mouse is moving quickly, the unlock sequence is triggered earlier and is more likely to end before the mouse reaches the edge of the screen. For example, the distance between one side of the contiguous area with the edge of the screen and the opposite side can be increased when the mouse moves quickly to anticipate unlocking, and decreased when the mouse moves slowly to avoid accidental unlocking. .

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a device for activating a first touch terminal from a second terminal, the first and the second terminal being connected via a communication network, the device being as it includes:

a module for associating a terminal with the device, a module for detecting an action on an input peripheral associated with the device, a communication module configured to transmit a notification to the terminal, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to authorize unlocking of the terminal.

According to yet another aspect, a terminal is proposed comprising an activation device as described above.

In a particular embodiment, the different steps of the method according to the invention are determined by instructions from computer programs.

Consequently, the invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of the steps of a method as described above, when the program is executed by a processor.

This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

The invention also relates to a recording medium readable by a computer on which a computer program is recorded comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of the method.

The information medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the support may include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, a flash memory, or else a magnetic recording means, for example a floppy disk) or a hard drive.

On the other hand, the information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be routed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means. The program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from a network of the Internet type.

Alternatively, the information medium can be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question.

The devices, information carriers and programs have advantages similar to those of the method previously presented.

The various embodiments or features mentioned above can be added independently or in combination with each other, to the process steps.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages will appear on reading the preferred embodiments described with reference to the figures, among which:

FIG. 1 represents an architecture suitable for implementing the method according to a particular embodiment,

FIG. 2 illustrates the steps of the activation method according to a particular embodiment,

FIG. 3 represents a terminal on which a virtual screen is configured, and FIG. 4 represents the architecture of a device suitable for implementing the method.

detailed description

FIG. 1 represents a local network 102 to which a portable computer 100 and a mobile terminal 101 are connected. The local network is for example a wireless network of WiFi type comprising a WiFi router 103. Any other network architecture allowing the terminals 100 and 101 to communicate with each other can however be used to implement the method. For example, the network 102 can correspond to an ad hoc WiFi or Bluetooth connection between the terminals 100 and 101. The terminals 100 and 101 can also communicate via a cellular data connection of the terminal 101, by a wired connection or by any other known means of communication.

The terminal 101 can be a mobile terminal, a tablet, a personal computer, a television set or any other terminal adapted to be controlled by input devices from the terminal 100. The terminal 101 can also include a touch screen.

The computer 100 includes at least one pointing device, for example a mouse 107 or a tactile surface 106 allowing the user to move a pointer 104 on the screen in order to point to a particular area on the screen.

In particular, a user can use one of the pointing devices to move the pointer in a predefined area 105. In FIG. 1, the predefined area 105 is represented at the bottom right of the screen of the computer 100, but any other location of the predefined area can be envisaged. In addition, the predefined area can have a shape, dimensions or proportions different from those shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates the steps of the activation method according to a particular embodiment.

During a first step 200, the terminal 100 detects the terminal 101. The terminal 100 can detect the terminal 101 in several ways. For example, the terminal 101 can broadcast at regular intervals an announcement message indicating its availability for an association. Upon receipt of such an announcement message, the computer 100 can then present the user with an interface inviting him to associate the terminal thus detected. Of course, several terminals 101 can be detected by the computer 100. The terminal 101 can for example broadcast the announcement message in accordance with the Bluetooth standard or via a Wi-Fi network, for example using the "Hello" protocol from Apple or the “UPnP” standard (RFC6970 IETF “Universal Plug and Play”). Any technology enabling the discovery of one terminal by another in order to exchange messages is suitable for implementing the invention.

As a variant, the step of detection of the terminal 101 by the terminal 100 may comprise the explicit designation of the terminal 101, for example by means of an IP address of the terminal 101, of a SIP URI (RFC3261 IETF “Session Initiation Protocol”) ) or a telephone number associated with the terminal.

The detection of the terminal 101 by the terminal 100 can also be carried out through a wired connection between the terminal 101 and the computer 100, for example by a USB connection from the terminal 101 to the computer 100.

During a second step 201, the terminal 101 is associated with the terminal 100. For this, the terminal 100 generates a private key / public key pair. Such a pair of private key / public key allows asymmetric encryption of a communication between the terminal 100 and the terminal 101: the public key PUK allows any terminal which has it to encrypt data which will only be decipherable by a terminal holding the PRK private key. In this way, the computer 100 transmits an encryption key allowing the terminal 101 to send encrypted data that only the computer 100 which holds the corresponding private key can decrypt.

According to a first embodiment, the terminal 101 uses the public key received to encrypt a symmetrical encryption key SK specific to the terminal 101 and to transmit it to the terminal 100.

The terminals 100 and 101 thus have the same symmetric encryption key SK making it possible to encrypt and decrypt messages which they exchange, this key having been exchanged in a secure manner thanks to the public key transmitted by the terminal 100. Symmetric encryption presents the advantage of being less costly than asymmetric encryption, and saves resources on the terminals.

The confidentiality of the exchanges between the terminals 100 and 101 is thus guaranteed. Such an arrangement also allows the terminal 100, respectively 101, to authenticate the messages received from the terminal 101, respectively 100, since they alone hold the key SK making it possible to encrypt / decrypt the messages.

According to a particular embodiment, the method comprises a step of transmission in a message encrypted using the symmetric key SK by the terminal 101 to the terminal 100 of a code allowing the unlocking of the terminal 101. The terminal 101 uses the public key received to encrypt an activation code adapted to authorize the unlocking of the terminal 101.

According to a particular embodiment, the code allowing the unlocking is associated on the terminal 101 with at least one validity criterion.

The validity criterion is for example a time range allowing the unlocking of the terminal 101 only during a determined time period.

The validity criterion can also correspond to a maximum number of unlocks authorized with the code. For example, the validity criterion can be configured so as to authorize only one unlocking of the terminal 101 by the terminal 100, so that a second use of the same code to unlock the terminal leads to a refusal to unlocking the terminal.

The validity criterion can also be a data allowing to identify one or more terminals authorized to use the code. It is thus possible to limit the use of a particular code to a particular terminal.

The validity criterion can also be an IP address of a terminal authorized to use the code, a range of IP addresses corresponding to a computer network such as network 102, from which the use of the code to unlock the terminal 101 is possible.

In step 202, the terminal 100 detects a user action on an input device 107 or 106 associated with the terminal 100. The computer 100 detects for example a particular movement of the pointer 104 by means of the mouse 107 or touchscreen 106.

The movement detected may be particular in that the movement of the pointer 104 on the screen of the terminal 100 describes a particular pattern. For example, an action can be detected when the movement of the pointer 104 corresponds to a circle, a rectangle, a broken line or any other geometric pattern. The pattern is detected in a known manner from a history of the positions occupied by the pointer over a predetermined time period, and / or by closing a geometric shape by returning the pointer to an initial position. According to a particular embodiment, the action is detected when the pointer is successively moved from one corner of the screen to another corner of the screen of the computer 100, for example from the upper right corner of the screen to the corner lower right of the screen.

According to a particular embodiment, the terminal 100 detects an action when the pointer 104 is moved in a particular area of the screen, for example in the area 105 shown in FIG. 1. The area 105 is for example a rectangular area d 'A height substantially equal to the height of the screen of the terminal 101 and positioned so that at least one side of the rectangular area corresponds to an edge of the screen. In this way, when the terminal 101 is positioned to the right of the screen as in FIG. 1, using for example on a suitable support, the screen of the terminal 101 is located in the extension of the detection zone 105. The detection zone can be positioned differently depending on whether the terminal 101 is positioned to the right, to the left above or below the screen of the terminal 100. Such an arrangement is advantageous since keyboard sharing software generally triggers the transfer of keyboard and mouse commands from a first terminal to a second associated terminal when the mouse pointer reaches a predefined edge of the screen of the first terminal: the side of the detection area 105 thus corresponds to the edge of the screen configured to trigger a transfer of mouse / keyboard interactions to the terminal 101. In this way the pointer 104 is detected in the area 105 before reaching the right edge of the computer screen 100 of Figure 1.

According to a particular embodiment, the width of the detection zone 105 is modified according to the speed of movement of the pointer 104 on the screen of the terminal 101. The width of the zone 105 is then determined by a duration T necessary for the pointer 104 to traverse the area 105 horizontally. For this, the computer 100 measures the speed of movement of the pointer and determines the width of the area 105 so that the movement of the pointer 104 from one side to the other of the area 105 at the measured speed corresponds to the duration T. For example, if the width of the area 105 is configured with a duration T equal to 20 milliseconds and the computer 100 observes that the pointer travels 5 centimeters in 10 milliseconds, an area of 10 centimeters in width will be defined.

According to a particular embodiment, the duration T is determined according to the time necessary to unlock the terminal 101. In this way, between the moment when the pointer 104 enters the zone 105 from the left and the moment when the pointer 104 reaches the right edge from the computer 100 screen, the terminal 101 could be unlocked.

Of course, in the description relating to the detection zone 105 which precedes, the terms “width” and “height” of the zone can be reversed according to the relative position of the terminal relative to the screen. Thus, when the terminal is positioned above or below the screen of the terminal 100, the detection zone 105 has a width substantially equal to the width of the screen of the terminal 101.

When an action is detected in step 202, the computer 100 implements a step 203 of transmitting a notification to the terminal 101, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to unlock the first terminal. The notification is, for example, a message encrypted using the encryption key SK exchanged at the association step 201. The notification can also be a message of the “push notification” type, the sending of which is triggered by the computer 100.

Such a notification comprises an unlocking command such as an unlocking code transmitted to the computer 100 by the terminal 101 during the association step.

Upon receipt of such a notification, the terminal 101 decrypts the message and checks the validity of the unlock code. If the unlock code is valid, that is to say if it verifies the criteria described above, the terminal 101 is unlocked and a confirmation message is sent to the computer 100.

The computer 100 receives the unlocking confirmation during a step 204 during which a virtual screen 300 contiguous to the detection area 105 is configured on the computer 100, as shown in FIG. 3. The virtual screen 300 has dimensions substantially equal to the dimensions of the screen of the terminal 100. When the pointer 104 reaches the right edge of the detection zone 105, the movement of the pointer is extended on the screen of the terminal 101 so as to reflect on the screen of the terminal 101 the movements of the pointing device associated with the terminal 100. For this, the terminal 100 regularly transmits to the terminal 101 the coordinates of the pointer 104, as well as other interactions of the user with the pointing device, for example information that the user has pressed a button on the mouse 107. Such a configuration of a virtual screen to prolong the movements of a point eur on the screen of a terminal separate from the terminal to which the pointing device is connected being known to those skilled in the art, it will not be detailed here in more detail.

The activation method thus makes it possible to unlock the terminal 101 from a pointing device associated with the computer 100. In this way, the user does not have to perform any manipulation on the terminal to perform unlocking. The use of a detection zone such as the zone 105 described previously makes it possible to anticipate the arrival of the pointer in the virtual screen zone. Thus, the terminal 101 can be unlocked before the pointer reaches the configured virtual screen. In this way, the user does not wait for unlocking to continue moving the pointer to the virtual screen corresponding to the terminal screen, the user experience is improved.

FIG. 4 represents the hardware architecture of a device 400 adapted to implement the activation method according to a particular embodiment.

The device 400 comprises a storage space 401, for example a memory MEM, a processing unit 402 equipped for example with a processor PROC. The processing unit can be controlled by a program 403, for example a PGR computer program, implementing the distribution method as described above with reference to FIG. 2, and in particular the steps for associating the device with a terminal, detecting an action on an input peripheral associated with the device, and transmitting a notification to the terminal, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to unlock the terminal. According to a particular embodiment, the PGR computer program is configured to implement the method according to the various embodiments or characteristics described above.

On initialization, the instructions of the computer program 403 are for example loaded into a RAM memory (Random Access Memory in English) before being executed by the processor of the processing unit 402. The processor of the unit 402 processing implements the steps of the activation method according to the instructions of the computer program 403.

For this, the device 400 comprises a module 404 for associating the device with a terminal. Such a module can include means for detecting a terminal and memorizing an association of the device with the terminal. The detection means are for example implemented by a computer program comprising instructions adapted to be executed by the PROC processor of the device 400 and configured to receive, from a communication interface of the device, a message announcement or discovery broadcast by a terminal. The association module also comprises means for generating a private key / public key pair suitable for encrypting a communication with a detected terminal and for receiving in a secure manner from the terminal an authentication element allowing the unlocking of the terminal by the device. . The association means comprise computer program instructions configured to generate a pair of private / public keys, for example using an RSA type algorithm, the instructions being adapted to be executed by a processor such as the processor. PROC. The association module further comprises a memory, for example a database, adapted to store the keys generated in association with an identifier of the detected terminal.

The device 400 also includes a module 405 for detecting an action on an input device 406 associated with the device. Such a module is for example implemented by computer program instructions configured to detect interactions of a user on an input peripheral associated with the device and adapted to be executed by the processor PROC of the device. For example, the instructions are configured to obtain coordinates of a mouse pointer connected to a screen of the device, and determine from the coordinates obtained that a particular action has been performed by verifying that the coordinates obtained correspond to a predetermined displacement. whose characteristics are stored beforehand in a memory of the device. The input device 406 is for example a computer mouse, a tactile surface, a keyboard or any other device allowing a user to interact with the device.

According to a particular embodiment, the detection module is adapted to detect the movement of a pointer associated with the pointing device 406 in a particular area of a screen 408 of the device. For this, the detection module includes computer program instructions configured to obtain coordinates on the screen 408 of a pointer associated with the input device 406 and compare these coordinates with the coordinates of an area defined on the device screen. The instructions are further configured so that when the comparison indicates that the pointer is moving or is located within the area defined on the screen, the detection module controls the communication module 407 the transmission of a notification adapted to unlock the terminal.

Optionally, the device can comprise a module for determining at least one dimension of the detection zone according to the speed of movement of the pointing device. For this, the determination module can include a memory in which are stored instructions configured to calculate a speed of movement of a pointer on a screen of the device, for example by obtaining the position of the pointer at regular intervals. The instructions are further configured to define a dimension of the detection zone in correlation with the determined speed, so that the greater the measured speed, the greater the size of the detection zone.

The device 400 further comprises a communication module 407 configured to transmit a notification to the first terminal, the notification comprising at least one authentication datum adapted to unlock the first terminal. The communication module is for example an Ethernet, WiFi or Bluetooth network interface, a cellular network interface or even a serial communication link such as a USB cable. The communication module is for example controlled by computer program instructions adapted to generate a message comprising an encrypted element generated by the association module 404, and adapted to authorize the unlocking of the terminal associated with the device when the terminal receives the message comprising such an encrypted element.

According to a particular embodiment, the device is integrated into a personal computer, a mobile terminal or a tablet.

Claims (10)

1. Method for activating a first terminal from a second terminal, the first and the second terminal being connected via a communication network, the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps following carried out by the second terminal: association (201) of the first terminal with the second terminal, detection (202) of an action on an input device associated with the second terminal, transmission (203) of a notification to the first terminal, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to unlock the first terminal. 2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the step of associating the first terminal with the second terminal comprises the exchange of at least one encryption key between the first and second terminals, the notification transmitted to the first terminal comprising at least encrypted data using the encryption key. 3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the input device is a pointing device. 4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the step of detecting an action comprises detecting that the pointing device is in a particular detection zone of a screen of the second terminal, the second terminal being in further configured to transmit to the first terminal interactions detected on input devices when the pointing device reaches said edge of the screen of the second terminal. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the detection area is a rectangular area defined on the screen of the second terminal having at least one side contiguous with an edge of the screen of the second terminal. 6. Method according to one of claims 4 to 5 wherein at least one dimension of the detection area is determined according to the speed of movement of the pointing device. 7. Device (400) for activating a terminal, the terminal being connected to the device via a communication network, the device being characterized in that it comprises: a module (404) for associating the terminal with the device, a module (405) for detecting an action on an input peripheral (406) associated with the device, a communication module (407) configured to transmit a notification at the terminal, the notification comprising at least one command adapted to authorize the unlocking of the terminal. 8. Terminal comprising a device according to claim 7. 9. Information medium readable by a processor on which a computer program is recorded comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of the activation method according to one of claims 1 to 6. 10. Computer program comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of an activation method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when said program is executed by a computer.